18 firefighters die in AZ wildfire

[tk13]

Brutal.

http://dcourier.com/main.asp?Section...ticleID=120733

PRESCOTT - The Prescott Fire Department lost nearly its entire crew today - the Granite Mountain Hotshots - with 18 firefighters dying and one surviving.

Prescott Fire spokesman Wade Ward told The Daily Courier the crew was battling the Yarnell fire, which has resulted in evacuations as it has grown to an estimated 1,300 acres in size.

A report of eight injured firefighters earlier in the evening was unconfirmed.

Ward said the extent of the survivor's injuries were not known at this time. He also declined to release firefighters' identities.

Further information was unavailable.

Volunteers with the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter opened a shelter on the Prescott campus of Yavapai College Sunday for displaced residents. Expecting large numbers, Red Cross Chapter Communications Officer Trudy Thompson-Rice said plans are already under way to open a second shelter closer to Yarnell.

Yavapai County Sheriff's Office Community Relations Specialist Anthony J. Palermo said structures were burning as of Sunday night, but could not confirm how many structures were burned.

[Love Gun]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I assume you are talking about Phoenix, because other cities not as large here definitely get a bit cooler. Phoenix does not in the summer.

The concrete here just absorbs everything and radiates it all night.

There are a few weeks in the summer where if it stays consistently hot for so many days on end, that the lowest night temp we will see will be like 90-95. We had three consecutive days last year where the temp didn't get below 100 degrees even at night!

Was the exact same way in Las Vegas when I was at UNLV.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

DPS officer that first arrived on the scene and saw the 19 firefighters dead is talking to counselors right now. He's gonna need lots of it. I can only imagine what that sight was like. We live an hour to the north it's pretty sad.

[Fritz88]

God. This is terrible.
Posted via Mobile Device

[BlackHelicopters]

Sad

[Chaunceythe3rd]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Just guessing, but a quick change in wind and kindling that goes up like the Hindenburg could easily lead to them becoming encircled.

This. And intense wildfires make their own weather. Microbursts where a column of rising air collapses to the ground and creates severe winds in all directions, even counter to the prevailing winds, are not uncommon. Prevailing winds are consistently from one direction and pushing the fire then all of a sudden a microburst either accelerates the fire in the same direction or forces it in another direction. May have been what happened here. So sad to think of the loss of young life. May God give their loved ones the strength to cope with this tragic loss.

[Frazod]